Methods of making dairy compositions

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method of separating components from milk and utilizing the separated components to form blended dairy compositions. The present invention relates to nutritional milk compositions and products which are designed to include per serving size a specified percentage range of one or more components separated from milk. The compositions of the present invention can optionally include non-essential but nutritionally functional components.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/369,731,filed Dec. 5, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,455,846, which is acontinuation of application Ser. No. 13/952,644, filed Jul. 28, 2013,now U.S. Pat. No. 9,510,606, which is a continuation of application Ser.No. 11/641,468, filed Dec. 18, 2006, now abandoned, which is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/229,462, filed Aug. 27,2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,428, all of which are incorporated byreference as if fully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to methods for separating components from milk,an apparatus for separating milk into individual components andcompositions prepared from the separated components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nutrition is one of the cornerstones of health, well-being, and theprevention of numerous chronic diseases. Nutritional products play animportant role in these areas and attempts to provide readily availableand convenient nutritional products to the general public has been amajor focus in recent years. To remain healthy one must receiveessential nutrients which are indispensable to human nutrition.Essential nutrients include both macronutrients, such as fats,carbohydrates and proteins, and micronutrients, such as vitamins andminerals (including trace elements and electrolytes).

Milk products constitute a significant portion of the overall diet orcalorie consumption of human beings. As such, milk products play a majorrole in maintaining the health of the public. Nutritionally optimal milkproducts will have a positive effect on the nutrition and the health ofthe public. Concentration of macronutrients in any given milk productwill often depend on the nature of the product and the desirable profiledeveloped by the manufacturer.

For example, bovine milk contains about 87 wt % water, about 3 wt %protein, about 0.65 wt % whey (soluble proteins), about 4.5 to 5.0 wt %lactose, 3 to 4 wt % milk fat, 0.3 to 0.7 wt % mineral salts plus avariety of water and fat soluble vitamins, lactic and citric acids,urea, free amino acids and polypeptides. One or more of these componentsmay be separated from milk and then may be optionally combined in avariety of combinations to produce various blended compositions. Forexample, in the manufacture of cottage cheese or casein, milk fat isfirst separated centrifugally (as cream) and the casein fraction of themilk is then precipitated at its isoelectric point by the addition ofacid. The remainder of the original milk, containing all of the othercomponents listed above, is called whey or milk serum, i.e., milk, fromwhich the casein and a majority of the milk fat has been removed isreferred to as whey or milk serum.

Whey (or milk serum) in turn can be subjected to filtration to produce aretentate and permeate that can be incorporated into a food product,like a beverage or dry food. For example, raw milk has been filtered toproduce a substantially pure dairy water that can be incorporated into abeverage or dairy product for consumption, the dairy water beingsubstantially pure and free of the major nutritional components presentin the original raw milk.

It is desirable to exploit the nutritional advantages present in milk byseparating milk into its individual components and to produce dairycompositions suitable for consumption by using these individualcomponents in food products. In addition, there is a need in the dairyindustry to design dairy compositions that can meet the nutritionalrequirements of individual groups of the human population such asathletes, lactating women, elderly persons, children, lactose-intolerantpopulations and diabetics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides methods for the separation of milk componentscomprising the sequential steps involving membrane-based,chromatographic and density-based separation processes.

The invention also provides methods of making dairy compositions fromfractionated milk components.

The invention further provides dairy compositions that are prepared fromfractionated milk components derived by the methods of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a first method of separating milk componentsaccording to the invention and the subsequent mixing of the separatedfractions and product processing.

FIG. 2 illustrates a second method of separating milk componentsaccording to the invention and the subsequent mixing of the separatedfractions and product processing.

FIG. 3 illustrates a third method of separating milk componentsaccording to the invention and the subsequent mixing of the separatedfractions and product processing.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example inthe drawings and are described in detail herein. It should beunderstood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited tothe particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention covers allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to nutritional milk compositions and milkproducts which are designed to include specific components of milk. Thecompositions of the present invention can optionally includenon-essential, but nutritionally functional components. As used herein,the terms “components of milk” or “milk components” are intended torefer to individual components of milk such as, but not limited to,butter fat, milk protein, non-protein nitrogen, lactose and minerals.All percentages expressed herein are weight percentages (wt %), unlessindicated otherwise.

As used herein, the terms “dairy products” or “dairy compositions” referto products or compositions comprising one or more milk components.

The complete nutritional milk compositions of the present invention canbe provided as unflavored milks, flavored milks, ice creams, yogurts,cheeses, specialized milk powders or any other nutritional product thatcan be prepared from milk or milk components.

As used herein the term “milk” includes fat-free milk, low fat milk,full fat milk, lactose-free milk (produced by hydrolyzing the lactose bylactase enzyme to glucose and galactose, or by other methods such asnanofiltration, electrodialysis, ion exchange chromatography andcentrifugation technology), concentrated milk or dry milk. Fat-free milkis nonfat or skim milk product. Low-fat milk is typically defined asmilk that contains from about 1% to about 2% fat. Full fat milk oftencontains about 3.25% fat. As used herein, the term “milk” is alsointended to encompass milks from animal and plant sources. Animalsources of milk include, but are not limited to, human, cow, sheep,goat, buffalo, camel, llama, mare and deer. Plant sources of milkinclude, but are not limited to, milk extracted from soy bean. Inaddition, the term “milk” refers to not only whole milk, but also skimmilk or any liquid component derived therefrom. By “whey” or “milkserum” is meant the milk component remaining after all or a substantialportion of the milk fat and casein contained in milk are removed.

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for the separation ofmilk components starting with whole milk. Prior to entry into themembrane filtration system, the whole milk may be optionally passedthrough a mechanical separator in order to separate the cream from theremainder of the milk, or a microfiltration (MF) unit to remove fat. Theseparated cream is stored for future use. In certain embodiments of theinvention the whole milk passes directly into the membrane systemswithout prior separation of the cream.

According to FIG. 1, the skim milk is passed through an ultrafiltration(UF) membrane unit to produce a UF permeate component and a UF retentatecomponent. In certain embodiments, the ultrafiltration step is performedusing a membrane filtration system having a molecular weight cut-off ofabout 8-10 kDa at pressures ranging from about 45 to about 150 psi. Inthe embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the UF permeate ispassed through a nanofiltration (NF) membrane unit to produce a NFpermeate and a NF retentate. In certain aspects of the invention, thenanofiltration step is carried out using a membrane filtration systemhaving a molecular weight cut-off of about 500-1000 Da at pressuresranging from about 150 to about 600 psi. The NF permeate and NFretentate may be stored for future use.

In certain embodiments of the invention, a microfiltration (MF) step iseither substituted in place of the ultrafiltration step, or isintroduced prior to the ultrafiltration step. The microfiltration stepis performed using a membrane filtration system having a molecularweight cut-off ranging from between 10 kDa to 200 kDa at pressuresranging from 15 to 21 psi.

Where the microfiltration step is introduced prior to theultrafiltration step, the permeate from the microfiltration step (MFpermeate) is subjected to an ultrafiltration step, using a membranefiltration system having a molecular weight cut-off of about 10 kDa atpressures ranging from about 45 to about 150 psi.

In the embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 2, whole milk isseparated into skim milk and cream, and the skim milk is subjected to aUF step and a NF step as discussed above. Following the NF step, the NFpermeate is passed through a reverse osmosis system to produce a ROretentate and a RO permeate. The RO step employs a membrane filtrationsystem having a molecular weight cut-off of about 100 Da at pressuresranging from about 450 to about 1500 psi. The RO permeate and ROretentate are stored for future use.

In certain embodiments of the invention, diafiltration may be coupledwith ultrafiltration for further removal of lactose, using injection ofRO permeate or water and/or NF permeate. As depicted in FIG. 3, the UFretentate is mixed with water and/or NF permeate, and passed through adiafiltration (DF) membrane unit to produce a DF permeate and a DFretentate. The diafiltration step aids in further removal of lactose andemploys a membrane filtration system having a molecular weight cut-offof about 10 kDa at pressures ranging from about 45 to about 150 psi. TheDF permeate and DF retentate are stored for future use. In certainembodiments, the DF permeate is subjected to an additional diafiltrationstep either directly or following the addition of NF permeate or ROpermeate.

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for preparing a dairycomposition by initially separating individual milk components frommilk, followed by subsequently mixing the separated components in thedesired combination and ratio.

An aspect of the present invention provides dairy compositions thatpossess varying ranges of fat, protein, lactose, and minerals. In otherwords, an object of the present invention is to provide compositionsthat possess varying ranges of fat, protein, lactose and mineralsderived from various milk components.

The compositions of the present invention are formulated such that theyare derived by combining the various components separated from milk bythe methods of the claimed invention.

In an embodiment of the invention, one or more milk components iscombined to produce compositions of the present invention. There areseveral embodiments of the invention including, without limitation, thecompositions discussed below.

Embodiments of the invention provide compositions prepared from one ormore milk components selected from the group consisting of cream, skimmilk, UF permeate, UF retentate, DF permeate, DF retentate, NFretentate, NF permeate, MF permeate, MF retentate, RO permeate and ROretentate. Varying predetermined amounts of each of the fractionsgenerated by the methods of the invention may be combined to obtaincompositions comprising desirable ranges of milk components such aslactose, fat, proteins and minerals.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the NF retentate, DFretentate and NF permeate fractions, as shown in FIG. 1, are combinedand heat-treated at 146° F. for 30 minutes (or any other equivalent timeand temperature combination), following which the composition is cooledto below 42° F. After the cool-down process, the composition is treatedwith lactase enzyme at 42° F. to 45° F. for 6-10 hours. Theenzyme-treated fraction is cooled to less than 40° F. for storage,packaging and shipment. In certain embodiments of the invention, thecomposition optionally comprises a cream fraction that has beenseparated from whole milk.

In another embodiment of the invention, the NF permeate, UF retentateand RO retentate fractions, as shown in FIG. 2, are combined andheat-treated at 146° F. for 30 minutes, following which the compositionis cooled to below 42° F. After the cool-down process, the compositionis treated with lactase enzyme at 42° F. to 45° F. for 6-10 hours. Theenzyme-treated fraction is cooled to less than 40° F. for storage andshipment. In certain embodiments of the invention, the compositionoptionally comprises a cream fraction that has been separated from wholemilk.

After the completion of lactose hydrolysis, the lactose-free milk ispasteurized, ultra-pasteurized or sterilized prior to packaging inretail containers. The lactose-free milks are subjected tomicrofiltration to remove bacteria, spores and lactase enzyme, followedby pasteurization. These processes ensure that the resulting productswill have an extended shelf life.

In order to make reduced-fat or full fat lactose-free milks,lactose-hydrolyzed cream is separately heated at 200-212° F. for 1minute and added to the skim lactose-free milks in which bacteria andlactase enzyme have been removed by microfiltration. The heat-treatedcream and microfiltered lactose-free skim milks are mixed to obtain adesired composition and then pasteurized at 212° F. for 30 secondsbefore packaging into retail containers.

In another embodiment of the invention, the DF retentate, NF retentateand RO retentate fractions, as shown in FIG. 3, are combined andheat-treated at 146° F. for 30 minutes, following which the compositionis cooled to below 42° F. After the cool-down process, the compositionis treated with lactase enzyme at 42° F. to 45° F. for 6-10 hours. Theenzyme-treated fraction is cooled to less than 40° F. for storage andshipment. In certain embodiments of the invention, the compositionoptionally comprises a cream fraction that has been separated from wholemilk.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the UF retentate and ROretentate fractions, as shown in FIG. 2, are combined and heat-treatedat 146° F. for 30 minutes, following which the composition is cooled tobelow 42° F. After the cool-down process, the composition is treatedwith lactase enzyme at 42° F. to 100° F. for 1-8 hours. Theenzyme-treated fraction is cooled to below 42° F. for storage andshipment. In certain embodiments of the invention, the compositionoptionally comprises a cream fraction that has been separated from wholemilk.

In an embodiment of the invention, a low lactose composition isprovided, comprising one or more milk components, wherein theconcentration of lactose in said composition is lowered by non-enzymaticmethods, for e.g., separation processes. In an embodiment of theinvention, low lactose compositions of the invention are prepared usinga membrane filtration process. In an embodiment of the invention, thelow lactose compositions of the invention comprise from about 1 wt % toabout 3 wt % of lactose. In an embodiment of the invention, the lowlactose compositions of the invention comprise less than 2 wt % oflactose. As used herein, the term “low lactose composition” is intendedto refer to compositions which comprise from about 1 wt % to about 3 wt% of lactose, and more preferably less than 2 wt % of lactose. As usedherein, the terms “low lactose composition” and “low carbohydratecomposition” are synonymous with one another.

The compositions of the present invention may be concentrated by anynumber of methods including but not limited to evaporation, and membraneprocesses like reverse osmosis, in order to provide the milk componentsin a concentrated composition or format. In other words, thecompositions of the present invention are prepared from one or more milkcomponents selected from the group consisting of butter fat, skim milk,MF permeate, MF retentate, UF permeate, UF retentate, DF permeate, DFretentate, NF retentate, NF permeate, RO permeate and RO retentate, andin certain embodiments of the invention, the compositions areconcentrated by known methods in the art including, but not limited to,evaporation, to provide the milk components of the compositions in amore concentrated format.

Certain embodiments of the invention provide a dairy composition derivedfrom milk components comprising from about 0.05 wt % to about 5.5 wt %butter fat, from about 3 wt % to about 10 wt % of protein, less than 1wt % lactose and from about 0.65 wt % to about 2 wt % minerals. Anembodiment of the present invention further provides a dairy compositionderived from milk components comprising from about 0.05 wt % to about5.5 wt % butter fat, from about 3 wt % to about 10 wt % of protein, fromabout less than 1 wt % to about 10 wt % lactose and from about 0.65 wt %to about 2 wt % minerals.

The compositions of the present invention can be formulated intodifferent types of dairy products. For example, the dairy product can bean unflavored or a flavored milk. Additionally, the dairy product can bea dairy drink, dairy beverage or a dairy cocktail. Such drinks,beverages or cocktails are products that contain the compositions in adiluted form. Such diluted forms can include, as nonlimiting examples, afruit juice or a carbonated soda as a diluent combined with thecompositions.

The compositions can also be frozen to yield an ice cream or otherfrozen desert. The ice creams can be formulated into a standard icecream containing about 10 wt % milk fat, a premium ice cream containingabout 15 wt % milk fat and a super premium ice cream containing about 17wt % milk fat. Other milk fat levels are contemplated with thecompositions. Additionally, non-dairy fats are also contemplated.Furthermore, other frozen deserts, such as sherbets, sundaes, orpartially frozen deserts, such as milk shakes, may suitably be made fromthe compositions.

An embodiment of the invention provides a method of making a frozenconfectionary product, such as ice cream, by subjecting whole milk to alactose reduction step, followed by concentration of the low lactose orlactose-free material by reverse osmosis. In certain embodiments of theinvention, the lactose is removed by hydrolysis using lactase enzyme.

The RO-concentrated material serves as the basis for a ice-cream mixthat can be manipulated to change levels of various components such assugars, proteins, fats, milk-solids not fat (MSNF) and total solids. Theresulting ice cream made from RO-concentrated lactose-hydrolyzed wholemilk does not require any extraneous sources of sugar, stabilizer oremulsifier.

In an embodiment of the invention, an ice cream mix (as set forth above)was formulated to contain about 8% protein, 6% fat and 10% sucrose. Thereduction of protein was compensated for by adding polydextrans and cornsyrup solids. The ice cream mix was frozen for 11 minutes to obtain asoft ice cream product.

Additionally, the compositions can be formulated into a yogurt. Yogurtis produced by culturing the compositions of the present invention witha bacterial culture such as lactic acid-producing bacteria,Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Yogurtsprepared using the compositions of the present invention can be setyogurts where the fermentation occurs in the final retail container orstirred yogurts where the fermentation occurs in bulk prior topackaging. Furthermore, these yogurts can contain flavors or fruits, canbe frozen to provide a frozen yogurt or can be in the form of adrinkable fluid to provide a drinkable yogurt.

The nanofiltration retenate fraction, which is a lactose-rich fraction,can be subjected to fermentation, and this fermented fraction can beused in the preparation of a yogurt or yogurt drinks composition. Thereare numerous advantages to performing the fermentation process on the NFretentate fraction rather than whole milk including, the need of lessculture and time required for the fermentation of NF retentate relativeto whole milk, ability to separate fermentation bacteria more easilyfrom the NF retentate fraction, and the ability to store the fermentedretentate for future use as needed.

The fermentation of the NF fraction is carried out by the addition oflactic acid-producing bacteria such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus andStreptococcus thermophilus. The bacteria from fermented NF retentate canbe removed by ultrafiltration or microfiltration for future use and thebacteria free fermented NF retentate is used for making yoghurt drinks.

In an embodiment of the invention, the diafiltration retentate fractionis combined with cream, reverse osmosis retentate fraction and afermented NF retentate fraction at a pH of less than 5. The mixture isplaced in containers and incubated at 107.6° F. (42° C.) until a firmcoagulum is formed.

The compositions of the present invention can be optionally fortifiedwith a protein source, a mineral source, a carbohydrate source or amixture. Examples of fortifying sources include sources of calcium,vitamin D and sources of protein. The protein source may be selectedfrom a variety of materials, including without limitation, milk protein,whey protein, caseinate, soy protein, egg whites, gelatins, collagen andcombinations thereof.

Included in the protein source are lactose-free skim milk, milk proteinisolate, and whey protein isolate. It is also contemplated to use soymilk or other protein sources of vegetable origin with the presentcompositions. As used herein, “soy milk” or “milk from soy bean” refersto a liquid made by grinding dehulled soy beans, mixing with water,cooking and recovering the dissolved soy milk out of the beans. Such soymilk can be formed into a milk-like product, which has similar taste,texture and appearance to animal (dairy) milk, but is essentially freeof animal (dairy) milk. Furthermore, a dairy-like product, which as usedherein refers to a product having similar taste, texture and appearanceto dairy products made from animal milk, but does not contain animalmilk, can be made from such milk-like products. The carbohydrate sourceuseful in the present invention may be selected from a wide variety ofmaterials such as sucrose, corn syrup solids, glucose, fructose,maltodextrin and combinations thereof.

Artificial sweeteners such as saccharine, aspartame, asulfame K,sucrolose and their combination, as well as others, may be incorporatedto enhance the organoleptic and sweetness quality of the compositions.Various fiber sources may be included in the compositions of the presentinvention. These sources may be selected from such materials as oatfiber, soy fiber, guar gum, pectin, soy polysaccharides, gum arabic,hydrolyzed fibers and the like. Cellulose, hemicellulose, hydrocollides,methylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and the like are contemplated.Also useful are fructo-oligosaccharides.

Compositions of the present invention can be formulated into a varietyof different product forms. For example, forms can include, but are notlimited to, high protein and fiber-containing, fat-free (skim), 1 wt %low fat, 2 wt % low fat, full fat (3.4 wt %), skim plus nonfat milksolids and lactose-free skim milks. Furthermore, where fat free (nonfator skim) milk is used, the milk may be partially evaporated or has addednonfat milk solids to yield a product with a rich creamy taste. Thecompositions can be flavored with natural or artificial ingredients.Such ingredients may be combined with the compositions to form asubstantially uniform flavored product or may be present in anon-uniform manner, such as fruit on the bottom of a yogurt composition.Non-limiting examples of flavored compositions include chocolate,strawberry, peach, raspberry, vanilla, banana, coffee, mocha andcombinations thereof.

Other non-enzymatic methods of lowering lactose levels that are employedin certain embodiments of the invention include electrodialysis, ionexchange processes and centrifugation. The electrodialysis processinvolves the application of an electric current over a membrane, wherebylactose is separated from other dairy components using ion-specificmembranes. Similarly, the ion exchange process takes advantage ofspecific electron charges inherent in lactose to separate this componentfrom other dairy components.

In an embodiment of the invention, the processes of electrodialysis, ionexchange or centrifugation may be substituted in place of thenanofiltration step to aid in removal of lactose.

Electrodialysis is an electromembrane process in which ions aretransported through ion permeable membranes from one solution to anotherunder the influence of a potential gradient. The electrical charges onthe ions allow them to be driven through the membranes fabricated fromion exchange polymers. Applying a voltage between two end electrodesgenerates the potential field required for this. Since the membranesused in electrodialysis have the ability to selectively transport ionshaving positive or negative charge and reject ions of the oppositecharge, useful concentration, removal, or separation of electrolytes canbe achieved by electrodialysis.

Ion exchange is a reversible chemical reaction wherein an ion (an atomor molecule that has lost or gained an electron and thus acquired anelectrical charge) from solution is exchanged for a similarly chargedion attached to an immobile solid particle. These solid ion exchangeparticles are either naturally occurring inorganic zeolites orsynthetically produced organic resins.

Skim milk permeate obtained during ultrafiltration of skim milk containsmostly lactose, water and minerals. The density of lactose is 1670 kgm⁻³ compared to a milk mineral density of 2500 kg m⁻³ at 15° C., adifference of 1830 kg m⁻³ which is far higher than the densitydifference between milk and milk SNF (690 kg m⁻³). The minerals from UFpermeate can be separated by centrifugal force (greater than 5000 g).Lactose and water form a supernatant while the minerals will form apellet. The pellet can be re-introduced into concentrated UF permeate ofskim milk to reintroduce minerals in lactose-reduced milk compositions.The lactose-water supernatant is concentrated by reverse osmosis. Thepermeate obtained in this process is mixed with UF permeate of skimmilk, which is then subjected to diafiltration. Alternately, the ROpermeate derived from the lactose-water supernatant is used to blendmineralized UF permeate of skim milk into desired compositions.

In an embodiment of the invention, a centrifugation step is used inplace of a nanofiltration step to separate lactose from UF permeate ofskim milk.

In certain embodiments of the invention, the process steps of theinvention are carried out in a unidirectional manner. An embodiment ofthe invention provides a single pass system where the flow of milk orseparated components pass through a given membrane filtration systemonly once. An alternate embodiment of the invention provides amulti-pass system where all or a portion of a permeate fraction derivedfrom a particular membrane filtration step is permitted to pass over themembrane unit from which the fraction was derived. A multi-pass systemmay comprise one or more additional passages of a fraction relative to asingle pass system.

In an embodiment of the invention, the multi-pass system involves thepassage of a previously-fractionated component such as a retentatefraction, over a membrane unit from which the fraction was derived. Thepurpose of such a multi-pass system is to facilitate the efficientrecovery of nutrients from the various fractions. It should be notedthat the multi-pass system of the claimed invention does not permit themixing of fractions with one another during the component-separationprocess. Rather, in the multi-pass system, fractions that are derivedfrom a particular membrane unit, are passed through the same membraneunit from which they were originally derived.

During the lactase treatment of the fractions generated by the methodsof the invention, hydrolysis of lactose results in galactose andglucose. Therefore, the treatment of dairy compositions with lactasereduces the amount of lactose in the composition and can increase thesweetness of the composition. In order to provide a measurement ofsweetness for dairy products, an objective scale has been devisedwhereby various sugars have been assigned an objective value ofsweetness using sucrose as a standard. For example, sucrose (tablesugar) is rated at a 100 rating and all other sweeteners are ratedeither more (fructose=110-180, aspartame=18000) or less (maltose=40,lactose=20, galactose=35, glucose=75). The hydrolysis of 30% of thelactose in milk (milk has approximately 4.7% lactose) results in anincrease in the sweetness of the hydrolysed composition by an amountequivalent to 0.3% (w/v) of sucrose (Mahoney, R. R., 1992, AdvancedDairy Chemistry, Vol. 3, p. 108). Similarly, hydrolysis of 60%, 90% and100% of milk lactose results in an increase in the sweetness of thehydrolysed composition by an amount equivalent to 0.6% (w/v), 0.9% (w/v)and 1% (w/v) of sucrose respectively.

Various non-nutritive components can be included in the compositions.For example, fillers, coloring agents, flavors, emulsifiers, sources offat (e.g., vegetable oil) and the like are useful. Other nutritionallyvaluable, but non-essential components can be added, including choline,taurine, L-carnitine and the like. Combinations of these non-nutritiveand non-essential components are contemplated.

Various nutraceuticals and phytochemicals can be incorporated into thecompositions for their intended function. Furthermore, it iscontemplated that the compositions can be used in other dairy products,such as but not limited to cheeses, creams, custards, and the like.

The compositions may be packaged for consumption and sale in an assemblycomprising a gable-top carton, a plastic container, a glass container, apaper container, a cardboard container or a metal container.

WORKING EXAMPLES Example 1

In an embodiment of the invention, the components of raw milk wereseparated out as follows. A milk separator (CMRP618-HGV, Alfa Laval) wasused to perform cold bowl mechanical separation of milk into cream andskim milk by means of centrifugal forces at a temperature below 45° F.The processes of the invention are preferably carried out at atemperature of 42° F. or lower. In order to maintain the processtemperature at the required temperature, diverter valves may be used inconjunction with the membrane filtration systems. These diverter valvesare designed to divert the product back to the supply tank iftemperatures exceed 45° F. when the temperature of the product exceedsthe desired maximum. As a result, the product will not proceed to aforward flow until the product temperature is below 45° F.

The cream was heat-treated at 150° F. for 30 minutes, cooled to below42° F. and transferred to a cold room (36° F.). Following the separationof cream, the skim milk was initially passed through an ultrafiltrationsystem. The ultrafiltration system employed membrane filters having amolecular exclusion range of about 5000 to 10,000 daltons. The UFmembrane filters (PTI) had a polysulfone/polypropylene support and amaximum pressure load of 150 psi. The skim milk was concentratedthree-fold by multi-pass ultrafilration to produce an ultrafiltrationretentate (UF retentate) and an ultrafiltration permeate (UF permeate).The temperature of the concentrate was kept below 45° F. by circulatingcold water in the jacket of the balance tank of the ultrafiltrationunit.

The UF permeate was concentrated three- to four-fold by a nanofiltrationsystem to yield a lactose-rich nanofiltration retentate (NF retentate)and a reduced-lactose nanofiltration permeate (NF permeate). Thenanofiltration system employed membrane filters (Koch) having amolecular exclusion range of about 100 to 1000 daltons and a maximumpressure load of 600 psi.

The NF retentate was heat-treated at 146° F. for 30 minutes, cooled tobelow 42° F. and transferred to a cold room (36° F.). The NF permeatewas concentrated two- to three-fold using a reverse osmosis system usingmembrane filters having a molecular exclusion range of about 100-180daltons. The RO membrane filters (Osmonics) were made of a thin filmcomposite polyester material and were capable of sustaining a maximumpressure load of 550 psi. The reverse osmosis retentate (RO retentate)was heat-treated at 146° F. for 30 minutes, cooled to below 42° F. andtransferred to a cold room (36° F.). The RO permeate (also known as milkwater) was set aside for future use as discussed below.

The UF retentate was mixed with water, RO permeate, NF permeate at 42°F. and the mixture was concentrated three-fold by dialfiltration toproduce a diafiltered retentate (DF retentate I) and a diafilteredpermeate (DF permeate I). In certain cases, a second dialfiltration stepwas employed to obtain a further reduction in the lactose content of theUF retentate. In the second diafiltration step, the DF retentate I wasmixed with water, RO permeate or NF permeate at 42° F. to obtain areconstituted diafiltered retentate, which was subsequently concentratedtwo-fold by dialfiltration to produce a retenate (DF Retentate II) and apermeate (DF permeate II). The double diafiltered DF retentate II was at146° F. for 30 minutes, cooled to below 42° F. and transferred to a coldroom (36° F.). The diafiltration system employed membrane filters havinga molecular exclusion range of about 1000 to 10,000 daltons.

All heat-treated fractions were cooled to below 42° F. and stored at 36°F. for use in the preparation of blended dairy compositions.

Example 2

In another embodiment of the invention, raw milk was separated into skimmilk and cream by a mechanical separator. The skim milk fraction wasconcentrated by ultrafiltration as discussed above to yield a UFretentate and a UF permeate. The UF permeate was concentrated bynanofiltration as discussed above to produce a NF permeate and a NFretentate. A portion of the NF permeate was heat-treated at 146° F. for30 minutes, cooled to below 42° F. and stored at 36° F. for use in thepreparation of blended dairy compositions. Another portion of the NFpermeate was mixed with the UF retentate and concentrated by adiafiltration system to yield a DF retentate and a DF permeate. Incertain aspects of the invention, an optional second DF step was used tofurther reduce the lactose of the starting material i.e, UF retentate.

Example 3

In an embodiment of the invention, raw milk was separated into skim milkand cream. The skim milk fraction was concentrated by ultrafiltration asdiscussed above to yield a UF retentate and a UF permeate. The UFpermeate was concentrated by nanofiltration as discussed above toproduce a NF permeate and a NF retentate. A portion of the NF permeatewas heat-treated at 146° F. for 30 minutes, cooled to below 42° F. andstored at 36° F. for use in the preparation of blended dairycompositions. The NF retentate was heat-treated at 146° F. for 30minutes, cooled to below 42° F. and transferred to a cold room (36° F.).Another portion of the NF permeate was concentrated two- to three-foldusing a reverse osmosis system. The RO retentate was heat-treated at146° F. for 30 minutes, cooled to below 42° F. and transferred to a coldroom (36° F.). The RO permeate was set aside for future use.

Example 4

An embodiment of the invention provides a blended dairy compositioncomprising one or more milk components such as UF/DF retentate (DFretentate I or DF retentate II), NF retentate and NF permeate. The UF/DFretentate is a key component around which blended compositions arebased. This component contains the bulk of the proteins necessary forthe finished product. The NF retentate component is largely the sourceof the minerals and lactose of the finished product, and is also thebearer of the greatest flavor. The RO retentate is the main source ofthe milk minerals/water necessary to standardize the solids-not-fatfraction of the product to the standard of identity for milk.

In certain aspects of the invention, cream (separated from raw milk) canbe optionally added to the composition. Following the blending of themilk components, the composition was pasteurized at 146° F. for 30minutes or 165° F. for 16 seconds. Following pasteurization, thecomposition was cooled to around 45° F. and treated with the enzymelactase. After lactase treatment, the final product was typicallypackaged in pre-sanitized plastic bottles and transferred to cold rooms(36° F.) for storage until shipment in insulated containers. Inalternate embodiments of the invention, the composition may undergolactase treatment prior to pasteurization.

Example 5

A further embodiment of the invention provides a blended dairycomposition comprising one or more milk components such as UF/DFretentate (DF retentate I or DF retentate II), NF retentate and ROretentate. In certain aspects of the invention, cream (separated fromraw milk) can be optionally added to the composition. Following theblending of the milk components, the composition was pasteurized at 146°F. for 30 minutes or 165° F. for 16 seconds. Following pasteurization,the composition was cooled to around 45° F. and treated with the enzymelactase. After lactase treatment, the final product was typicallypackaged in pre-sanitized plastic bottles and transferred to cold rooms(36° F.) for storage until shipment in insulated containers. Inalternate embodiments of the invention, the composition may undergolactase treatment prior to pasteurization.

Example 6

An embodiment of the invention provides a blended dairy compositioncomprising one or more milk components such as UF/DF retentate (DFretentate I or DF retentate II), RO retentate and RO permeate. Incertain aspects of the invention, cream (separated from raw milk) can beoptionally added to the composition. Following the blending of the milkcomponents, the composition was pasteurized at 146° F. for 30 minutes or162° F. for 16 seconds. Following pasteurization, the composition wascooled to around 45° F. and treated with the enzyme lactase. Afterlactase treatment, the final product was typically packaged inpre-sanitized plastic or metal tanks/containers until total hydrolysisof lactose is achieved, followed by milk pasteurization treatment. Thepasteurized product is transferred to cold rooms (36° F.) for storageuntil shipment in insulated containers or retail packaging. In alternateembodiments of the invention, the composition may undergo lactasetreatment prior to pasteurization.

Example 7

Another embodiment of the invention provides a blended dairy compositioncomprising one or more milk components such as UF retentate, ROretentate and NF permeate. In certain aspects of the invention, cream(separated from raw milk) can be optionally added to the composition.Following the blending of the milk components, the composition waspasteurized at 146° F. for 30 minutes or 165° F. for 16 seconds.Following pasteurization, the composition was cooled to around 45° F.and treated with the enzyme lactase. After lactase treatment, the finalproduct was typically packaged in pre-sanitized plastic bottles andtransferred to cold rooms (36° F.) for storage until shipment ininsulated containers. In alternate embodiments of the invention, thecomposition may undergo lactase treatment prior to pasteurization.

Example 8

Table 1 represents a composition profile for raw milk and the milkcomponents obtained by the methods of the claimed invention. The numbersset forth in Table 1 represent the results of multiple trials.

TABLE 1 Product Total Solids (%) Protein (%) Lactose (%) Fat (%)Minerals (%) Whole Milk 13.09 ± 0.05 3.54 ± 0.05 4.62 ± 0.09 4.05 ± 0.090.70 ± 0.05 Skim Milk  9.54 ± 0.11 3.65 ± 0.10 4.80 ± 0.05 0.13 ± 0.030.74 ± 0.04 Cream 48.26 ± 0.25 1.95 ± 0.06 2.44 ± 0.32 43.33 ± 0.29 0.35 ± 0.06 UF retentate (3X) 17.68 ± 0.78 10.23 ± 0.53  4.98 ± 0.220.35 ± 0.01 1.17 ± 0.04 UF permeate  5.38 ± 0.21 0.17 ± 0.01 4.85 ± 0.050.00 0.40 ± 0.08 DF retentate I (3X) 13.68 ± 0.18 10.44 ± 0.23  1.01 ±0.30 0.42 ± 0.08 0.84 ± 0.02 DF permeate I  1.66 ± 0.08 0.05 ± 0.01 1.04± 0.26 0.00 0.16 ± 0.01 NF retentate (3X) 10.49 ± 0.64 0.20 ± 0.03 9.49± 0.74 0.00 0.63 ± 0.06 NF permeate  0.72 ± 0.08 0.11 ± 0.04 0.40 ± 0.110.00 0.14 ± 0.06 RO retentate (3.5X)  2.00 ± 0.17 0.13 ± 0.03 1.22 ±0.03 0.00 0.14 ± 0.04 RO permeate 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Example 9

The composition profile of raw whole milk and the components obtainedfrom raw whole milk using the methods of the invention are summarized inTable 2. In this instance, the whole milk was not subjected to aseparation step to remove cream, prior to the separation of the milkcomponents.

TABLE 2 Non-protein Product Fat (%) Protein (%) nitrogen (%) Lactose (%)Minerals (%) Whole Milk 3.0-5.0  2.8-4.5 0.18-0.21 4.5-5.5 0.65-1.0  UFretentate 9.0-18.0   8.0-16.0 0.20-0.25 4.4-6.0 1.2-2.0 UF permeate0.0-0.025 0.1-0.3 0.15-0.20 4.0-5.6  0.4-0.75 DF retentate I 9.0-18.0  8.0-16.0 0.10-0.15 0.5-3.0 0.90-1.90 DF permeate I 0.0-0.025 0.1-0.2 0.1-0.15 2.0-3.0 0.2-0.4 NF retentate 0.0-0.075 0.1-0.3 0.1-0.2  8-170.6-1.5 NF permeate 0.0 0.05-0.15  0.1-0.15 0.0-0.1 0.05-0.15 ROretentate 0.0  0.1-0.20 0.1-0.2 0.0-0.3 0.20-0.66 RO permeate 0.0 0.00.01-0.05 0.0 0.0

Example 10

The composition profile of skim milk and the components obtained fromskim milk using the methods of the invention are summarized in Table 3.In this instance, whole milk was subjected to a separation step toremove cream, prior to the separation of the milk components.

TABLE 3 Non-protein Product Fat (%) Protein (%) nitrogen (%) Lactose (%)Minerals (%) Whole Milk 3.0-5.0 2.8-4.5 0.18-0.21 4.5-5.5 0.65-1.0  SkimMilk 0.05-0.2  2.9-4.7 0.18-0.21 4.6-5.6 0.65-1.0  Cream 32.0-48.01.5-2.3 0.11-0.14 1.9-3.0 0.30-0.40 UF retentate 0.15-0.70  8.0-16.00.20-0.25 4.4-6.0  1.0-1.90 UF permeate  0.0-0.025 0.1-0.3 0.15-0.204.0-5.6  0.4-0.75 DF retentate I 0.15-0.80  8.0-16.0 0.10-0.15 0.5-3.00.80-1.2  DF permeate I  0.0-0.025 0.1-0.2  0.1-0.15 2.0-3.0 0.2-0.4 NFretentate  0.0-0.075 0.1-0.3 0.1-0.2  8-17 0.6-1.5 NF permeate 0.00.05-0.15  0.1-0.15 0.0-0.1 0.05-0.15 RO retentate 0.0  0.1-0.20 0.1-0.20.0-0.3 0.20-0.66 RO permeate 0.0 0.0 0.01-0.05 0.0 0.0

Example 11

Table 4 represents the composition profile of a blended compositionhaving approximately 5% protein prepared as discussed in Example 5.UF-DF retentate denotes the retentate fraction of milk that has passedthrough the UF step and at least one DF step.

TABLE 4 UF-DF Skim NF- RO- Ingredient Milk retentate retentate retentateFinal Blend Total Solids 13.65 12.07 2.01 8.15 (%) Protein (%) 10.250.20 0.10 5.13 Lactose (%) 1.097 10.7 1.299 1.83 Fat (%) 0.9 0.0 0.00.44 Minerals (%) 1.10 0.40 0.52 0.79 Solids-not-fat 12.75 12.07 2.017.77 (SNF) (%)

Example 12

Table 5 represents the composition profile of a blended compositionhaving approximately 5.7% protein prepared as discussed in Example 5.

TABLE 5 UF-DF Skim NF- RO- Ingredient milk retentante retentateretentate Final Blend Total Solids 14.30 11.90 2.39 9.05 (%) Protein (%)10.2 0.20 0.10 5.70 Lactose (%) 1.95 10.1 1.5 1.79 Fat (%) 0.80 0.0 0.00.44 Minerals 1.17 0.40 0.57 0.79 Solids-not-fat 13.50 11.90 2.39 8.61(SNF) (%)

Example 13

Table 6 shows the quantity of milk components used in the preparation ofa 4% protein, no fat (skim), low carbohydrate blended composition.

TABLE 6 Ingredient UF-DF Skim NF- RO- Milk retentate retentate retentateCream (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) Quantity 37.64 3.17 59.19 0.0

Example 14

Table 7 shows the quantity of milk components used in the preparation ofa 4% protein, low fat, low carbohydrate blended composition.

TABLE 7 Ingredient UF-DF Skim NF- RO- Milk retentate retentate retentateCream (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) Quantity 37.64 3.00 54.81 4.55

Example 15

Table 8 shows the quantity of milk components used in the preparation ofa 4% protein, full fat, low carbohydrate blended composition.

TABLE 8 Ingredient UF-DF Skim NF- RO- Milk retentate retentate retentateCream (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) Quantity 37.64 1.95 53.12 7.386

Example 16

Table 9 shows the quantity of milk components used in the preparation ofa 4.5% protein, no fat, low carbohydrate blended composition.

TABLE 9 Ingredient UF-DF Skim NF- RO- Milk retentante retentateretentate Cream (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) Quantity 42.60 3.27 54.31 0.0

Example 17

Table 10 shows the quantity of milk components used in the preparationof a 4.5% protein, low fat, low carbohydrate blended composition.

TABLE 10 Ingredient UF-DF Skim NF- RO- Milk retentante retentateretentate Cream (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) Quantity 42.60 3.27 49.76 4.55

Example 18

Table 11 shows the quantity of milk components used in the preparationof a 4.5% protein, full fat, low carbohydrate blended composition.

TABLE 11 Ingredient UF-DF Skim NF- RO- Milk retentate retentateretentate Cream (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) Quantity 42.60 2.28 47.73 7.386

Example 19

Table 12 shows the quantity of milk components used in the preparationof a 8% protein, no fat, low carbohydrate blended composition.

TABLE 12 Ingredient UF-DF Skim NF- RO- Milk retentate retentateretentate Cream (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) Quantity 76.82 10.27 13.01 0.0

Example 20

The ranges of components in the finished product, prior to enzymetreatment, typically ranges from 3.5 to 12.0% protein, 0.1 to 5.0%lactose, 0.6 to 1.1% minerals, 0.2 to 0.8% calcium and 0 (no fat) to 4%(full fat) milk fat. Following the lactase treatment of a product, thequantity of lactose in the product is significantly reduced. In certainembodiments of the invention, the quantity of lactose in theenzyme-treated product is reduced to zero.

Table 13 illustrates representative DESIGNER™ compositions preparedusing the isolated milk components of the present invention.

TABLE 13 Product Fat (%) Protein (%) Lactose (%) Solids-not-fat (%)Minerals (%) DESIGNER ® ≤0.2 5.7-6.1  1.5-1.85 8.34-8.45 0.7-0.8 SkimMilk DESIGNER ® 1.85-2.1 5.7-6.1  1.5-1.85 8.34-8.45 0.7-0.8 Reduced-FatMilk DESIGNER ® 1.85-2.1 5.7-6.1 0.1-1.0 8.34-8.45 0.7-0.8Reduced-Lactose Milk DESIGNER ® ≤0.2 5.7-6.1 0.1-1.0 8.34-8.45 0.7-0.8Reduced-Lactose Skim Milk DESIGNER ® 1.85-2.1 4.2-4.5 3.0-3.3 8.35-8.550.7-0.8 Lactose free reduced fat milk

Additional exemplary compositions that can be prepared from theseparated components of the claimed invention are set forth below.

A dairy composition consisting of 2.0% butter fat, 6.2% protein, 0.75%minerals and 1.8% lactose, prepared by combining 62% of re-filtered UFretentate of skim milk, 4.75% cream, 4.66% lactose concentrate (NFretentate) and 29% RO retentate.

A dairy composition consisting of 0.2% butter fat, 6.2% protein, 0.75%minerals and 1.8% lactose, prepared by combining 62% of re-filtered UFretentate of skim milk, 4.66% lactose concentrate (NF retentate) and33.34% RO retentate.

A dairy composition consisting of 0.2% butter fat, 6.25 protein, 0.75%minerals and 1.8% lactose, prepared by combining 62% of re-filtered UFretentate of skim milk, 4.66% lactose concentrate (NF-retentate) and33.34% NF permeate prepared from UF skim milk permeate.

A dairy composition consisting of 2.0% butter fat, 6.25% protein, 0.75%minerals and 1.8% lactose, prepared by combining 62% of re-filtered UFretentate of skim milk, 4.75% cream, 4.66% lactose concentrate(NF-retentate) and 29% NF permeate prepared from UF skim milk permeate.

A dairy composition consisting of 0.2% butter fat, 6.2% protein, 0.75%minerals and 1.6% lactose, prepared by combining 33.5% of UF retentateof skim milk (6× concentrated) and 66.5% of NF-permeate of UF skim milkpermeate.

A dairy composition consisting of 2.0% butter fat, 6.2% protein, 0.75%minerals and 1.6% lactose, where in said composition is prepared bycombining 33.5% of UF retentate of skim milk (6× concentrated), 4.75%cream and 61.75% NF permeate of UF-skim milk permeate.

A dairy composition consisting of 0.2% butter fat, 6.2% protein, 0.75%minerals and 1.6% lactose, where in said composition is prepared bycombining 33.5% of UF retentate of skim milk (6× concentrated) and 66.5%RO-concentrate of nanofiltration permeate of UF skim milk permeate.

A dairy composition consisting of 2.0% butter fat, 6.2% protein, 0.75%minerals and 1.6% lactose, wherein said composition is prepared bycombining 33.5% of UF retentate of skim milk (6× concentrated) 4.75%cream and 61.75% RO retentate of nanofiltration permeate of UF skim milkpermeate.

In order to increase the sweetness of the blended dairy compositions,the compositions were treated with lactase enzyme. Treatment withlactase hydrolysed the lactose in the compositions to produce galactoseand glucose. As a result of the hydrolysis, the sweetness of the treatedproduct is greater relative to that of the untreated product because ofthe presence of glucose in the treated product. For example, thehydrolysis of 100% of the lactose in UF retentate (having approximately5% lactose) results in an increase in the sweetness of the treatedproduct equivalent to 1.0% (w/v) of sucrose. Similarly, hydrolysis of30%, 60% and 90% of the lactose originally present is equivalent toadding 0.3%, 0.6% and 0.9% (w/v) sucrose, respectively. See AdvancedDairy Chemistry, Vol. 3, p. 108, by R. R. Mahoney, Chapman & Hall, 2ded.

A universal scale for the measurement of sweetness has been developedthat correlates the level of sweetness to a known quantity of sucrose.For example, a 2% sucrose sample is designated as having a sweetnessvalue of “2”. Similarly, a 5% sucrose sample is designated as having asweetness value of “5”, a 10% sucrose sample is designated as having asweetness value of “10”, and a 15% sucrose sample is designated ashaving a sweetness value of “15”.

One method used in the evaluation of the sweetness of a sample is themagnitude estimation procedure. In this procedure, samples are evaluatedfor sweetness in comparison with standard sucrose solutions. See J. ofDairy Science, Vol. 61 (1978), p. 542. The tester first tastes thecontrol sucrose solution. After rinsing with water between samples, thejudges taste the test samples. Each tester then estimates the sweetnessintensity of the sample relative to the control sucrose solution byindicating whether the sample is more or less sweet than the controlsucrose solution. If additional sucrose control solutions are available,the tester can perform the magnitude estimation procedure with theadditional sucrose control solutions in the same manner as with thefirst sucrose control solution.

The process of milk component fractionation as set forth in the presentinvention is a continuous on-line process. At any given time, the milkcomponents that are derived from the fractionation processes of theinvention, and used in the preparation of the compositions of theinvention, are obtained from the same batch of milk that initialyentered the fractionation system.

Although this invention has certain preferred embodiments, it will beobvious to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from the invention,and all such changes and modifications are intended to fall within thetrue spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for making a dairy composition, themethod comprising: subjecting skim milk to an ultrafiltration step toproduce a UF permeate fraction and a UF retentate fraction; subjectingthe UF permeate fraction to a nanofiltration step to produce a NFpermeate fraction and a NF retentate fraction; subjecting the NFpermeate to a reverse osmosis step to produce a RO permeate fraction anda RO retentate fraction; combining the UF retentate fraction with the NFretentate fraction and the RO retentate fraction to form a mixture;treating the mixture with lactase enzyme to form a dairy composition. 2.The method claim 1, wherein the UF retentate fraction is combined withwater to form the mixture.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the methodfurther comprises heat treating the dairy composition prior to treatingthe dairy composition with the lactase enzyme.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the dairy composition has a fat content of less than or equal to6 wt. %.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dairy composition has aprotein content of from 5.7 to 6.1 wt. %.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the dairy composition has a lactose content of from 1.5 to 1.85wt. %.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the dairy composition has alactose content of from 0.1 to 1.0 wt. %.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the dairy composition has a solids non-fat content of from 8.34to 8.45 wt. %.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dairy compositionhas a minerals content of from 0.7 to 0.8 wt. %.
 10. A method for makinga dairy composition, the method comprising: subjecting milk to anultrafiltration step to produce a UF permeate fraction and a UFretentate fraction; subjecting the UF permeate fraction to ananofiltration step to produce a NF permeate fraction and a NF retentatefraction; subjecting a first portion of the NF permeate to a reverseosmosis step to produce a RO permeate fraction and a RO retentatefraction; combining the UF retentate fraction with at least one of wateror the RO permeate fraction to form a mixture; subjecting the mixture toa diafiltration step to produce a DF permeate fraction and a DFretentate fraction; combining the DF retentate fraction and the NFretentate fraction to form a blended composition; and treating theblended composition with lactase enzyme to form a dairy composition. 11.The method of claim 10, wherein the dairy composition has a fat contentof less than or equal to 6 wt. %.
 12. The method of claim 10, whereinthe dairy composition has a protein content of from 5.7 to 6.1 wt. %.13. The method of claim 10, wherein the dairy composition has a lactosecontent of from 1.5 to 1.85 wt. %.
 14. The method of claim 10, whereinthe dairy composition has a lactose content of from 0.1 to 1.0 wt. %.15. The method of claim 10, wherein the dairy composition has a solidsnon-fat content of from 8.34 to 8.45 wt. %.
 16. The method of claim 10,wherein the dairy composition has a minerals content of from 0.7 to 0.8wt. %.
 17. A method for making a dairy composition, the methodcomprising: subjecting milk to an ultrafiltration step to produce a UFpermeate fraction and a UF retentate fraction; subjecting the UFpermeate fraction to a nanofiltration step to produce a NF permeatefraction and a NF retentate fraction; subjecting a first portion of theNF permeate to a reverse osmosis step to produce a RO permeate fractionand a RO retentate fraction; combining the UF retentate fraction with atleast one of water or the RO permeate fraction to form a mixture;subjecting the mixture to a diafiltration step to produce a DF permeatefraction and a DF retentate fraction; combining the DF retentatefraction and the NF retentate fraction, and cream to form a blendedcomposition; and treating the blended composition with lactase enzyme toform a dairy composition.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the dairycomposition has a protein content of from 5.7 to 6.1 wt. %.
 19. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the dairy composition has a lactose contentof from 1.5 to 1.85 wt. %.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the dairycomposition has a lactose content of from 0.1 to 1.0 wt. %.